Electrical signaling apparatus.



W. T. CRAFT. ELECTRICAL SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1913' 1, 1 2'7, 1 93., Patented Feb. 2, 191-5.

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WILLIAM r. CRAFT, or DENVER, COLORADO.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 9, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM T. CRAFT, citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and state of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Signaling Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrical signaling apparatus, my object being to provide means for automatically operating a signal in residences along street car lines, so that the resident may be noti fied of the approach of a street-car from either direction, so that he will not have to watch for the car or take chances of missing it.

This invention contemplates the location of a portion of the apparatus on the streetcar line at such a distance from the residence in question that when the car reaches the said location the signal will be given long enough in advance of the cars arrival at the place where the resident is to take it, to give him time to reach the carline.

The device which is located at the car-line is so constructed that when the car is moving in one direction the signal will be operted, while when the car is moving in the opposite direction it will remain inactive. It will of course be necessary to locate an element of my improved signal at the carline, on opposite sides of the residence, providing the owner wishes to be notified of the approach of a car from either direction.

In the specific construction illustrated in the drawing, my improvement is employed in connection with the apparatus which supports the trolley-wire at predetermined intervals along the track. A part of the device projects into the path of the trolley wheel and when acted on by the latter moving in the proper direction serves to close a local circuit which operates the signal in the house in question, the said signal being conspicuously arranged so that the occupant will be notified. This device upon which the trolley acts is so constructed that when Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 766,505.

the car is moving in the opposite direction, the movement of the device by the trolley will not actuate themovable contact for circuit-closing purposes.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing-Figure 1 is a view illustrating my improved signaling device, its connection with an electric bell at the residence being diagrammatically illustrated. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device acted on by the trolley to close the circuit.

, Fig. 3 is a view-similar to Fig. 2, but showing the trolley moving in the opposite direction and therefore having no circuit-closing effect upon the device. Fig. 1 is a section taken approximately on the line d-, Fig. 1.

lhe same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the overhead trolley wire of an electric railway system, the said wire being equipped with the usual metallic plate '6 having an insulating bell 7 at its upper extremity and with which is connected the lower extremity of a depending device 8, connected with a transversely arranged supporting wire 9. This construction is usual or ordinary in electric railway system operated from overhead trolley wires.

In my improvement, I employ two contacts 10 and 12, one being relatively stationary and mounted on the insulating bell, while the other is movable and is connected with a lever arm 13, pivotally connected, as shown at 14, with a plate 15 composed of insulating material and secured to the metal plate 6 by means of suitable fastening devices 16. At the extremity of the arm 13 remote from the pivot let is located a plunger 17, which is arranged to reciprocate in a receptacle 18 forming a dash-pot construction. Between the extremities of the lever arm 13, the. latter is provided with an eye 19 through which passes a stem 20, upon one extremity of which the contact 12 is mounted. Upon this stem is threaded a nut 21, the said nut being exteriorly applied to the arm. Between the arm and the contact 12 is located a spiral spring 22, which surrounds the stem of the contact, the spring being of suiiicient tension when acted on by the arm, to force the contact 12 into engagement with its cooperating contact 10, as the arm 13 is actuated to cause the plunger 17 to move into the receptacle 18. Also pivotally mounted on the insulating plate 15 is a depending arm 23, which carries a roller 24 composed of insulating material, the said roller normally occupying a position in the path of the trolley wheel 44. This depending member 23 is provided with a shoulder 25 adapted to act on a pin 26 carried by the lever arm 13, when the depending member is moved to the right in Figs. 1, 2. In other words, referring to these figures, when the car is traveling toward the right, the trolley wheel will strike the anti-frictional insulating roller 24 of the arm 23 and throw the latter to the position shown in Fig. 2, causing it to act upon the arm 13 and actuate the latter to cause the plunger 17 to enter the cup-shaped receptacle 18. During this travel of the plunger, the contact 12 will be brought into engagement with its cooperating contact 10, whereby the local electrical circuit through a bell or other suitable signal 27 will be closed. In this case the circuit may be traced from a pole 28 of an electrical source 29 through a wire 30, a switch-arm 31 and a wire 32 to the contact 10, the connection being made at 33. The current then passes from the contact 10 to the contact 12, through the arm 13, thence through a wire 34 to a binding-post 35, thence through the bell 27 to a binding-post 36, thence through a wire 37 to the opposite pole 38 of the battery.

The object of the dash-pot construction is to maintain the two contacts 10 and 12 in engagement a sufficient length of time to operate the signal bell long enough to give the desired signal. As soon as the trolley wheel passes and is disengaged from the anti-frictional insulating roller 24, the arm 23 will return to its normal position in engagement with a leaf-spring 39 carried by the insulating block 24. At the same time a spring 40 connected with the arm 13 at one extremity and with the plate 6 at its opposite extremity, will serve to return the arm 13 to its normal position but this will be slowly accomplished since the plunger 17 will be retarded in its movement out of the cup 18 by reason of the suction therein, until the air can work around the plunger to fill the space forward of the latter. This retarding action of the dash-pot construction will be sufficie'nt to hold the contacts 10 and 12 in engagement a suitable length of time for acbe no movement of the arm 13. As soon as the trolley passes, the arm 23 will be returned by the leaf spring 39 to its normal position.

, It will be understood that in the use of a arm 31 be actuated to break the circuit, the

signal will remain idle. When, however,'the occupant of the house desires to be notified of the approach of a car, he will move the switch-arm into the position shown in Fig. l, and then as soon as the car reaches the point where the apparatus is located, the trolley will act to close the circuit through the bell 27 or other suitable electrical signal, as will be readily understood.

Attention is called to the fact that it is desirable to insulate the trolley-wire and the trolley-wheel from the local circuit in which the signal is placed and it is for this reason that the anti-frictional insulating roller is employed. F or the same reason, the lower extremity of the spring 40 is insulated from the plate 6, as shown at 41. It willbe understood that the bell 27 may be located in any desired position in the house which is connected for signaling purposes. The bell may be equipped with an annunciator attachment 42, so that when the local circuit is closed through the bell, the pointer 43 of the annunciator will occupy the usual vertical position, thus giving a visual as well as an audible signal. The pointer may be restored to its normal position by the usual manually operated stem 45. It will also be understocd that an electric light may be used instead of a hell or in conjunction therewith, as may be desired. It will also be practicable to have both a bell and a light in the circuit, the latter being so arranged that either may be cut out While the other remains in the circuit, if desired. If it is preferred to avoid the noise incident to the use of a bell, the latter may be cut out and a visual signal alone used, as an incandescent lamp. It should also be understood that any suitable form of dash-pot construc ticn may be employed for retarding the circuit-breaking movement of the arm 13. In the constructirn illustrated in the drawing, it is assumed that the plunger fits somewhat loosely within its cylinder, so that the air may work in around the plunger during the return movement of the arm 13. F roni the construction illustrated (see Fig. 2) it will be understood that the spring 22 is under tension to hold the movable contact 1.2 in engagement with its cooperating contact, until the arm 13 has moved rearwardly far enough to engagethe stop-nut 21. Hence the circuit will be held closed during this period. It will also be understood that by properly arranging this feature of the device, the circuit may be maintained closed for any desired or predetermined length of time.

The leaf spring 39 is comparatively weak, its only function being to present a retarding force to the arm 23 when moved in the direction opposite its circuit-closing movement and to prevent it from swinging farther than might be desirable under the influence of the contact with the trolley-wheel.

As heretofore explained, in case it is desired that the occupant should be notified of the approach of a car from both directions, an apparatus of the same character as that illustrated in the drawing should be arranged at a suitable distance from the house in both directions, the two devices being so arranged that when the car is approaching from opposite directions the signal in the house will be operated, assuming that it is desirable that such should be the case and that the lccal circuit is intact by reason of the switch-arm 31 being in the proper position.

In order to limit the return or rearward movement of the arm 13, the extremity of the arm adjacent the pivot 14: is provided with a lug or projection 46 which engages a stop-pin 47 carried by the insulating block 15, when the arm 13 has reached the necessary rearward position for breaking the cir cuit or separating the contacts 10 and 12 (see Figs. 1 and 3).

I claim 1. The combination with a car, of a local circuit, a signal therein, a circuit make and break device having a depending arm located in the path of the car, and a lever arm pivoted at its lower extremity and actuated by the depending arm at said pivoted extremity to close the circuit when the car is traveling in one direction, the said depending arm being idly operated by the car when the latter is traveling in the opposite direction, the lever arm being normally spring retained in the open circuit position, a spring mounted upon said lever arm intermediate its extremities, and means attached to one extremity of said arm cooperating with said spring to retard the movement of the lever arm from the circuit closing to the open circuit position.

2. The combination with a car, of a local circuit, a signal therein, a circuit make and break device having a depending arm located in the path of the car, and a lever arm actuated by the depending arm to close the circuit when the car is traveling in one direction, the said depending arm being idly operated by the car when the latter is traveling in the opposite direction, the lever arm being normally spring retained in the open circuit position, a spring mounted upon said lever arm intermediate its extremities, and means attached to one extremity of said arm cooperating with said spring to retard the movement of the lever arm from the circuit closing to the open circuit position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM T. CRAFT.

Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, G. M. WAUDBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

